Home secy told to ensure court orders are followed

Taking exception over delay in implementation of court orders in missing persons’ cases, the Sindh High Court (SHC), on Monday, directed the home secretary to make sure the orders were complied with in letter and spirit; a report was also told to be submitted in next hearing.

The court further asked the home department to deputy a person no less than an additional home secretary to represent the department in court; the deputed officer was also to be well conversant with the facts of the cases. The hearing was adjourned till October 3. 

The directives were given during hearing of Soona Khatoon’s petition which maintained that her son, Mohammad Zubair, had been missing since March 28, 2014 from Lyari.

The petitioner submitted that her 30-year-old son, an electrician by profession, had gone to offer prayers in Lyari’s Moosa Lane area but never came home.

She feared that her son may have been detained by paramilitary forces’ patrolling the area that day in connection with the Karachi operation. Therefore, she pleaded to court to direct the police and Rangers authorities to disclose whereabouts of her son.

The court on a previous hearing had directed the home secretary to take up the matter of Zubair’s disappearance with the provincial task force for missing persons to ascertain his whereabouts. However, the court orders were not followed through. The home secretary on the SHC judge’s inquiry over non-compliance of orders replied that he would look into the matter.

Notices were also issued to the federal and provincial law officers to file comments on petitions of the alleged illegal detention of citizens by personnel of law enforcement agencies.